The Bharath Scouts and Guides (BSG) has planned to start sea scouts in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, said BSG Karnataka Chief Commissioner P.G.R. Sindhia in Mangaluru, on Friday, September 22.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a workshop for officials of the Department of School Education and Literacy and taluk-level BSG nodal officers, Mr. Sindhia said sea scouts would be on the lines of Air Scouts in Bengaluru and Belagavi.
Sea scouts, Mr. Sindhia said, would encourage students to join the Indian Navy. “We have already received permission for sea scouts. We are looking for teachers,” he said. Sea scouts would be in operation from the 2024-25 academic year, he added.
Mr. Sindhia said BSG had planned to increase the number of cubs, bulbuls, scouts and guides, and rovers and rangers, from 7 lakh to 10 lakh.
The senior politician said the BSG had asked the State government to reserve 500 seats in engineering and 50 seats in medical and dental courses for scouts, guides, rovers and rangers. The Higher Education Council has been asked to direct universities to reserve seats for rovers and rangers. Disaster management teams comprising scouts, guides, rovers and rangers had been set up in 11 districts, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, in the State, he said.